Despite Guv’s clarification, panic continues in Kashmir

Panic, chaos, confusion and uncertainty continued in Kashmir for the second consecutive day on Saturday despite government claims that nothing serious was going to happen and people should not pay any heed to rumours.

Back-to-back official orders on Saturday added to the panic and fear prevailing across Kashmir over the past few days. In the morning National Institute of Technology, Srinagar suspended class work till further orders with hundreds of non-local students packing their bags to return to their respective states.

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Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal said the decision to suspend classwork is the institute’s own. He said transportation was arranged upon requests from the NIT management which had received requests in this regard from distressed parents of students. Most of the students at NIT Srinagar are from outside state.

In another decision On Saturday, governor Satya Pal Malik led administration suspended the annual Machail Mata pilgrimage in hilly Kishtwar’s Paddar area adjoining Kashmir Valley. In yet another order, the staff at Bone and Joints Hospital in Srinagar was asked not to leave the station before seeking proper permission from the concerned authorities.

There were also rumours that policemen have been asked to deposit their weapons. But this was outrightly rejected by the ADGP law and order Muneer Khan, who termed it as “baseless and malicious.”

An estimated 11,000 tourists, including yatris and over 200 foreign visitors, who were in the Valley, when the government issued advisory on Friday asking Amarnath yatris and tourists to cut short their stay and return as soon as possible in the wake of intelligence inputs of “specific threats” to the pilgrimage.

On Saturday, there was huge rush at Srinagar Airport with tourists and yatris desperate to catch early flights back home. Airlines have waived cancellation charges and are reportedly arranging additional flights to cater the huge rush. Aviation regulator DGCA advised airlines to remain ready to operate additional flights from Srinagar if the need arises.

Reports said nearly 6000 people boarded 32 flights which operated from Srinagar airport on Saturday.

In recent days, a series of official orders - including one issued by the Railway Protection Force warning of a “crisis situation” - has triggered rumours that the New Delhi is planning to abrogate Jammu and Kashmir’s special status guaranteed by the Indian constitution.

Governor Satya Pal Malik said that he had no information about anything happening in Kashmir as being spread by some people and political parties. “Everything is normal here,” he said. “Suicide attackers are waiting to cross the LoC and that’s why we asked tourists and pilgrims to leave.”

However, despite clarification by the governor, the region’s shaken residents view the official orders and deployment of additional forces as yet another instance of the “psychological warfare” they say is being waged by New Delhi against them.

Apprehending deterioration in law and order situation, people were seen lining up at departmental stores in the city and elsewhere to stock up dry ration and essentials.

There is total chaos in markets in Srinagar, with grocery stores, petroleum retail outlets, medical shops, and ATMs are witnessing an unprecedented rush of people, who want to stock up supplies with an apprehension that “something big” is about to happen.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany have issued separate advisories asking its natives, who were on Kashmir trip, to return immediately and not to visit Kashmir till further orders.